NOTE: THIS LINK PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION FOR WINDOWS 8 http://www.ghacks.net/2015/04/17/how-to-remove-windows-10-upgrade-updates-in-windows-7-and-8/

In Windows 7:

1. CONTROL PANEL - PROGRAMS AND FEATURES - on the side, click VIEW INSTALLED UPDATES

2. In the list that appears for the list of installed WINDOWS UPDATES, scroll down and locate the following updates in WINDOWS 7

KB2952664 KB2990214 KB3021917KB3035583

VERIFY EACH KB NUMBER BEFORE CONTINUING

3. UNINSTALL EACH UPDATE YOU FIND - NOTE: When asked to reboot select LATER and continue until all those are uninstalled and remove them in the ORDER shown above

THEN REBOOT

Go back and check to see if those updates are all gone in the system.. if they are then check and see if you can still connect to Windows Update... IF BOTH ARE TRUE SKIP TO #6 BELOW AND HIDE THE UPDATES AT WU. You are done

If KB2952664 has come back or appears again, OR you cant connect to Windows Update and get a ERROR continue with #4 below after uninstalling KB2952664 again

Here is the kicker.. if you UNINSTALL KB2952664 many systems cant connect to Windows update anymore! Really MS? Punishment or dimwit strong-arm tactics?

4. Run this MS FIX IT tool

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/windows-update-error-8000ffff [ignore the reference to Vista]

Run with the check box aggressive mode unchecked, let it finish, close and then rerun the tool again with the check in AGGRESSIVE

5. Once finished, reboot

The above repairs Windows update from not being able to run but BE AWARE it will CLEAN/FLUSH the Windows update 'history' list but wont remove the update list

6. Once rebooted run Windows Update in MANUAL MODE do not let MS download and install updates automatically.. the updates I noted above should reappear in the list including KB2952664 right click them all and select HIDE

KB2952664 KB2990214 KB3021917KB3035583

you will no longer be prompted to install those hidden nonsense updates unless MS decides to try and slip them back in again and Windows Update will work fine

For Windows 8 the process is similar.. you can review the link above to remove this garbage

EDIT: If the above FIXIT tool fails and you still can not connect to WU, Try this tool:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/947821/

Download the correct version x32 or x64 and let it repair WU. It will request you install a KB and then it will run a aggressive scan to fix issues.

It can take 10 minutes and up to 3 hours to run sometimes so if it appears to hang at like 85%, its still running.. reboot when it finished and recheck WU and don't worry about the MSfixit tools

I had gotten rid of the tray icon long ago, but got tired of seeing Adware for Win10 every time I opened WU which must have been snuck in there when I wasn't looking. I noted that WU had even been switched to Auto updates against my wishes, I NEVER auto update!.

I performed all of the steps Jafo listed above to get rid of the icon and the updates, yet the 'Get Windows 10' icon reappeared.... 4 times [thus far]. There's even a registry edit that's supposed to prevent its reappearance, but it appears MS has found its way around that as well.

you will no longer be prompted to install those hidden nonsense updates unless MS decides to try and slip them back in again

Yes, I think that's exactly what MS is doing. I've not seen any articles to suggest/confirm this [as yet], but I suspect Win 10 update thingies are being piggybacked with other patches/updates.... such is MS' desperation to have it on as many PCs as possible by Dec 2016

I normally work like buggery to resolve any errors on my PCs, but the one on my HP 2-in-1 where the Win 10 upgrade continually fails is one I intend to have remain on the machine. There's a list of failed attempts in WU, supposedly because the Win 10 upgrade does not recognise my product key, but that's okay, I don't fechen want it.

I noted that WU had even been switched to Auto updates against my wishes,

Same here! I specifically checked to see if my updates were still set to manual when I realised that the Win 10 updates were being installed regardless, and sure enough, they had been reset to auto update. I've changed it back twice thus far, so it is wise to check regularly to ensure your preferred settings are still in place.

Given all the bad press and negative points regarding Win 10, not that I'm saying anything about anyone here, mind, me thinks that anyone who willingly installs Win 10 of their own free accord without bullying or stand-over tactics.... even the slightest persuasion, must have rocks in their heads, be incredibly naive or have been hanging with the ostriches too long.

Another way to get rid of it.... forever....permanently....,never to come back... finito, gone kaput.... switch to Ubuntu.

I had one important update. That one was for flash player in IE 11. Even though I don't use IE I still keep it updated 'cause who knows. Anyway there were 9 optional updates, two I know of, one of them being kb3035583 and the other is the compatibility update to see if my machine can handle Win 10. Those are both hidden and they do not come back. The other optional updates I checked and mostly they're for stuff I neither use or am not hooked up to. Too bad they can't be deleted.

KB2952664 This one keeps coming back every time I check for updates, even though it is hidden, and I have Auto updates turned completely off. With the KB comes that moronic Adware for Windows 10. I uninstall the update, it goes away until I check updates once again. Grrrrrr!!!

I performed all of the steps Jafo listed above to get rid of the icon and the updates, yet the 'Get Windows 10' icon reappeared.... 4 times [thus far].

You still got it wrong then.

No, I followed it to the letter. Furthermore, I am not the only one who keeps seeing the 'Get Windows 10" icon back in the systray after performing the same or similar methods of removal. I even went to the length of doing a registry edit to revent its reappearance, yet it still returned.... 5 times now. Like I said, I suspect MS is piggybacking it in with other updates In any event, Microsoft is NOT behaving well here.

KB2952664 This one keeps coming back every time I check for updates, even though it is hidden, and I have Auto updates turned completely off. With the KB comes that moronic Adware for Windows 10. I uninstall the update, it goes away until I check updates once again. Grrrrrr!!!

Same here! Had to do a reboot before and the icon wasn't there at shutdown, but once the machine had restarted and everything loaded it was back... and in going to WU to check on the updates listed, I noted that the previously hidden KB2952664 was back. Now being that hidden updates are not normally redownloaded or installed, I have to wonder if these Win 10 updates are somehow able to undelete themselves? In any event, MS is behaving very badly. I mean, medical staff are not allowed to force feed patients refusing food and drink, so why is MS being allowed to force feed Windows 10 to millions of unwilling users?

I was right when I said that Satya Nadella would be good for Microsoft as CEO.... and he has been. Sadly for users, though, he's been an absolute **** and has betrayed them with a virtual clone of Apple's walled garden. Windows as an OS died with Win 8.1... what exists now is a travesty.

No, I followed it to the letter. Furthermore, I am not the only one who keeps seeing the 'Get Windows 10" icon back in the systray after performing the same or similar methods of removal. I even went to the length of doing a registry edit to revent its reappearance, yet it still returned.... 5 times now. Like I said, I suspect MS is piggybacking it in with other updates In any event, Microsoft is NOT behaving well here.

That will be likely because you were on win8 ...you know...the OS you love so much...from the same company as 10 the OS you hate so much.

The removal instructions for the upgrade in 8 are different...and this thread is in the 'Windows 7' forum.

As I said...this machine still is win7 with no icon...and no Trojan download/torrent for MS.

Seriously, why does it matter so much if one small extra icon is in the systray.

Jorge has pretty much answered this for me, but to put it simply, the longer it is there the more unwanted downloads I get. Because Win 10 can not install on my HP 2-in 1, the "Get Windows 10' Icon keeps advising Windows Update to download it again... and again... and again.... With each failed installation another download is prompted. Thus far 15,6 gb has been downloaded by the damned thing since July, so obviously I wan't it gone.

No, I followed it to the letter. Furthermore, I am not the only one who keeps seeing the 'Get Windows 10" icon back in the systray after performing the same or similar methods of removal. I even went to the length of doing a registry edit to revent its reappearance, yet it still returned.... 5 times now. Like I said, I suspect MS is piggybacking it in with other updates In any event, Microsoft is NOT behaving well here.

That will be likely because you were on win8 ...you know...the OS you love so much...from the same company as 10 the OS you hate so much.

The removal instructions for the upgrade in 8 are different...and this thread is in the 'Windows 7' forum.

As I said...this machine still is win7 with no icon...and no Trojan download/torrent for MS.

If you do it right it stays done...

Jafo, I followed the same instructions that RND did from ghacks... to the letter for Win 8.1. For a while the icon was gone, as were the hidden updates. However, as Jorge and Wizard 1956 have also discovered, MS is being persistent in delivering the updates and the icon despite the measures taken by users. And it's not just those of us here at WC.

It seems the problem exists right across the board, which prompted a software developer to create GWX Panel [see below], which not only deletes the icon, but also prevents future 'Win 10' updates from being redownloaded and/or unhidden. It's still early days, but thus far, but neither the icon or the updates have returned since availing myself of GWX Panel. Fingers crossed!

Oh yeah,, just cos something worked for you, and I'm glad it did, it don't mean to say somebody else got it wrong when it didn't work okay for them.... especially when it comes to computer shit.... cos we know how finnicky it can be at times.

There's a proggie called GXX Panel that's available from Majorgeeks The program is intended to disable 'Get Windows 10' notifications as well as prevent those unwanted updates in WU. Should a user wish to upgrage to Win 10 later on the changes are reversible.

I used that program from Majorgeeks, but it doesn't remove the Windows BT folder, which on MY system is 6Gb. Does anyone know if there's a way to remove this folder, and if it's safe to do so?

No, GWX Panel does not remove the upgrade folder, the reason being to allow users to upgrade at a later date if they so choose. However, if you wish to delete it then that's fine. I did so to free up disc space [120gb SSD] without ill-effect.

It is interesting to read the user guide, though. The developer has indicated that MS has been quite aggressive in its approach for users to switch to Win 10, and that it will reissue the updates and the GWX app in an attempt to force users hands. He even suggests that the icon and updates may have rules of their own, and thus able to override users own WU settings.

For mine, Microsoft's behaviour in this matter has been abominable... if not downright criminal.

CursorFX is a utility which allows you to have much more flexibility in the cursors
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really easy to create your own super-charged cursors!

DesktopX is a program that lets users build their own desktops. It does this by
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shapes. They can have scripts attached to them, they can be combined together to
form mini applications or turned into an entire desktop.

Publisher:

Stardock Corporation

Developer:

Stardock Corporation

Stardock DeskScapes is a program that allows users to have animated wallpaper on
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dynamically generated content as animated wallpaper, and more.

IconPackager is a program that allows users to change nearly all of their Windows
icons at once by applying "packages" of icons. A package of icons contains
icons to replace most of the common icons on your Windows PC.

Icons

Icons for applications and folders.

LogonStudio is a free program that allows users to change their Windows 7, Vista
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with thousands that are available online.

ObjectDock™ is a program that enables users to organize their shortcuts, programs
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need them.

ObjectDock™ is a program that enables users to organize their shortcuts, programs
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have more control over how they organize their desktop, users can take control of
their desktop icons and shortcuts to have them be available when where and how they
need them.

Show off your favorite desktop configuration by uploading a screenshot of your desktop!

SoundPackager brings customization of your auditory experience to Object Desktop!
Users can now choose from "sound packages" to enhance their Windows desktop
experience. Over 30 different system sounds are supported; unique new Stardock Design
sound packages are included with the package.

Microsoft Windows® 8 is shipped without the "Start" menu. Stardock heard the cries from Windows 8
users. We put the "Start" menu back in Windows 8. We accurately recreated the most used desktop
feature billions of users depend on every day and packed it with additional functionality.

Microsoft Windows® 8 is shipped without the "Start" menu. Stardock heard the cries from Windows 8
users. We put the "Start" menu back in Windows 8. We accurately recreated the most used desktop
feature billions of users depend on every day and packed it with additional functionality.

Theme Manager is a program that changes the look and feel of the entire Windows
environment. It works by talking to existing desktop enhancement programs and then
applying a MyColors or Suite file. In short, Theme Manager is a front-end to other
desktop enhancement programs to simplify the user experience.

WindowBlinds changes the look and feel of your Windows desktop by applying visual
styles to your entire Windows environment. When a visual style is applied, they
change nearly every elements of the Windows GUI such as title bars, push buttons,
the Start bar, menu and more.

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